Coventry will take part in a national initiative that will see 70 candles lit to mark the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

The national Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations will particularly reflect the fact that it is 70 years since the liberation of the dreaded Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

A special ceremony will take place between 12.45pm and 1.30pm tomorrow (Tuesday) in the Lower Precinct.

The event will be attended by the Lord Mayor of Coventry and chief executive of Coventry City Council, along with Kindertransport survivor Susi Bechhofer.

All three will give a short speech.

Susi, who lives in Rugby, will also be asked to light one of the 70 candles specially designed by Sir Anish Kapoor, which will be lit at events across the country and in Auschwitz.

Sir Anish is known for designing the ArcelorMittal Orbit, an observation tower built in Stratford’s Olympic Park for the London 2012 Olympics, and Chicago’s Cloud Gate, more commonly known as the Bean.

Olivia Marks-Woldman, chief executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust, said: “Sir Anish Kapoor has created a beautiful candle to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.

“When all 70 of their candles are lit throughout the country, it will be a poignant moment of remembrance and a time for us all to ensure we keep the memory alive.”

Coventry has been given the honour to host one of the candles. This will mark the beginning a period of reflection to honour survivors of the Holocaust and subsequent genocides.

Lee House, organiser of the Coventry Holocaust Memorial event, said: “It is vital that we remember and reflect upon the horrors of the past, and honour those who survived.”

She added: “From Stornoway to Southend-on-Sea, and from Belfast to Bristol, the candles will symbolically link the 2,500 commemorations taking place across the UK, binding them together with a common thread in what is a significant anniversary year.”

Coventry’s ceremony will also include music from the Performing Arts Service Brass Quartet and the children from St John Fisher Catholic Primary School in Wyken.